A Lisbon area hospital is now reporting an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease, just a couple of months after there was a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at another Lisbon area hospital, specifically the São Francisco Xavier Hospital. This was confirmed by health officials yesterday and furthermore, that there are currently seven cases of Legionnaires’ disease reported at the CUF Descobertas Hospital. All seven patients, which include six women and one man, are reportedly in stable condition and are undergoing treatment at the moment. In order to ensure that this outbreak does not become more severe, a team of nurses are now responsible for contacting…
Legionella, the Legionnaires’ disease causing bacteria, is ubiquitous in the natural environment, especially in damp soil and water. While the organism is present more or less everywhere, water temperatures of 72–107 °F are ideal conditions for rapid growth. This explains why outbreaks of Legionnaire’s disease become more common in the summer months and have often been linked to contaminated artificial water systems – especially air conditioning units in large buildings which use water for cooling. Studies of associations between weather variables and sporadic cases of legionnaires’ disease suggest that as temperatures rise globally so too does the prevalence of environments conducive to legionella growth.…
The Macau Health Bureau has confirmed three cases of Legionnaires Disease at the site of the Parisian Macao, a $3 Billion dollar, 3,000 room casino resort located on Macau’s version of the Las Vegas Strip. The Health Bureau is reporting that one of the patients is listed as being in critical condition, and another in serious condition. The third patient has already been released from the hospital. In a press release issued Saturday evening, the Bureau indicated that the resort’s pool and spa area had been shutdown for testing. Prior to this outbreak, Macao had had only 1 recorded case…
A European research consortium, comprised of university researchers, chemical analysis labs, and an Italian HVAC manufacturer. Researchers at the POSEIDON Project, which stands for Plasmonic-Based Automated Lab-on-Chip Sensor for the Rapid in-Situ Detection of Legionella, have begun the testing phase of a device that can instantly detect legionella. The device uses an optical sensor to automatically detect the presence of legionella bacteria. The current method of testing for the presence of legionella takes days, as a sample is taken and analysts wait for a culture of legionella bacteria to grow. The POSEIDON Project is only slated to be installed in HVAC and…
A man in his 50s has died from Legionnaires’ disease that he contracted while using a hot spring in Mihara, Hiroshima. He is thought to have visited the facility in early March and was hospitalized with pneumonia like symptoms including shortness of breath and fever shortly after. In addition to the deceased man, 39 people who have all visited the “Miharashi Onsen” hot spring have also been experiencing pneumonia-like symptoms. Of the 39 people, in ages ranging from 30-80, 37 have been hospitalized with two in serious condition. Legionella pneumophila has been detected in all of the people complaining of…
An emergency has been declared in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. A Legionella bacterium has been found in the water systems in multiple apartment buildings resulting in the Emergency Commission activating an emergency operations center to handle it. Two apartment blocks in the Zirmunai neighborhood tested positive for the bacteria that causes Legionnaires disease and a third block in the Lazdynai neighborhood is being tested. “We have two deaths and a third incident is still under investigation. This affects over 500 people because there are three buildings and it takes more than 24 hours to eliminate (the emergency situation). Based…
Faltec Europe Ltd, a car parts firm in the UK, has admitted charges relating to an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease and an explosion on it’s premises. In 2015 the factory was ordered to shut down four cooling towers by the Health and Safety Executive following the discovery of significant levels of legionella were found on site. Between October 2014 and May 2015 four workers and a nearby resident were hospitalized. In September 2015 the company was given the all clear after following safety measures. Another investigation by the Health and Safety Executive relates to the explosion risks at the plant in…
A possible source of Legionella infection in Australia has been managed, officials say, thanks to mandatory testing and water treatment programs. The Cunnamulla Hospital in Queensland, Australia conducted regular tests for Legionella bacteria in its water supply, as mandated by Queensland lawmakers. These tests revealed the presence of bacteria earlier this July. Hospital officials shut off water before patients or staff were at risk and chlorinated the water. Further tests have now indicated that the bacteria is gone, though the hospital will continue to monitor the situation. A spokesperson for the hospital pointed out that many facilities in the area…
Legislation mandating that hospitals conduct routine tests for Legionella has paid off in Australia, where a Queensland hospital caught the bacteria in its water supply before patients were infected. A deadly outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in 2013 prompted lawmakers to require that hospitals perform regular tests for Legionella. As a result of such tests, the Cunnamulla Hospital in southwestern Queensland reported last week that its water system contained Legionella bacteria. Hospital officials responded by chlorinating the water system, replacing water fixtures, and retesting the water supply. Thanks to the mandatory tests and the quick action of the hospital officials, no…